Ananda26 wrote:Connected Discourses of the Buddha Chapter 46 Connected Chapter of the factors of Enlightenment is very helpful for the developing the 7 factors of Enlightenment.When the mind is restless that is the right time to develope the tranquility, concentration, and equanimity factors of enlightenment.When the mind is slack that is right time to develope the investigation, energy, and rapture factors of enlightenment.As to mindfulness, Buddha has said that that is always useful.

Yes, thanks, Dave was talking about this earlier in the thread.

"I ride tandem with the random, Things don't run the way I planned them, In the humdrum."Peter Gabriel lyric

SN 46.53 wrote:"Now, on any occasion when the mind is sluggish, that is the right time to develop analysis of qualities as a factor for awakening, persistence as a factor for awakening, rapture as a factor for awakening. Why is that? The sluggish mind is easy to raise up by those mental qualities.

..."Now, on occasions when the mind is restless, that is the right time to develop calm as a factor for awakening, concentration as a factor for awakening, equanimity as a factor for awakening. Why is that? The restless mind is easy to still with those mental qualities.

Dave, do you see this as applying both on and off the cushion, or primarily as applying to seated meditation?

"I ride tandem with the random, Things don't run the way I planned them, In the humdrum."Peter Gabriel lyric

SN 46.53 wrote:"Now, on any occasion when the mind is sluggish, that is the right time to develop analysis of qualities as a factor for awakening, persistence as a factor for awakening, rapture as a factor for awakening. Why is that? The sluggish mind is easy to raise up by those mental qualities.

..."Now, on occasions when the mind is restless, that is the right time to develop calm as a factor for awakening, concentration as a factor for awakening, equanimity as a factor for awakening. Why is that? The restless mind is easy to still with those mental qualities.

Dave, do you see this as applying both on and off the cushion, or primarily as applying to seated meditation?

Both. Mindfulness, as an awakening factor, is the baseline that is satipatthana. From this base, the other awakening factors are cultivated & hindrances allayed; anapanasati deeply develops this theme.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

daverupa wrote:Both. Mindfulness, as an awakening factor, is the baseline that is satipatthana. From this base, the other awakening factors are cultivated & hindrances allayed; anapanasati deeply develops this theme.

Yes, that makes sense, particularly thinking of the reference to the 7 factors in the Satipatthana Sutta. So do you see the 4 tetrads as a specific method for developing the 7 factors?

"I ride tandem with the random, Things don't run the way I planned them, In the humdrum."Peter Gabriel lyric

Spiny Norman wrote:So do you see the 4 tetrads as a specific method for developing the 7 factors?

More like arenas for the development of the factors.

At base, satipatthana is one's ancestral domain/the first awakening factor is always useful/etc. So this frames the practice, but isn't necessarily something I'd call a 'method' yet.

It's as though the awakening factors were gym equipment; you can go to any one of four gyms to correctly exercise, but the method on the various machines will differ in various ways according to the individual as well as the gym.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]